10 Times Long-Term WWE Booking Paid Off

Fans who followed Jeff Hardy's topsy-turvy WWE career (and personal life) knew that he was never going to make it to the main event the easy way - but few could have predicted that it would be such a long climb to the top of the tree.

Jeff secured his maiden World Heavyweight Championship at Armageddon 2008, more than a decade after he made his debut as a teenager, and a year after his world title push really began with victory over Triple H at the previous year's event.

In the build-up, we were beginning to hear murmurs that the 'Charismatic Enigma' had blown his shot at the big time - particularly after an ill-timed suspension cost him a place at WrestleMania XXIV - and when he finally smashed the glass ceiling the moment meant so much more because of it.